Eternity
by Kgirl1
Summary: She was made to stand at his side. Without him, it was as if her life had lost all purpose. And yet, she continued to fight.
1. On the Run

**A/N: Wow. This started as a Krytus/Kyburi oneshot and turned into an explanation of how the RS5 came to be. Bwahaha it's like fifty pages so far. Anyway, lots of headcannon, mixed with actual BF5 material later on (part of 'The Crimson One' comes up) and mostly from Kyburi's point of view. **

**Read on!**

_Six months._

Six blasted, lonely, bleak months she had been traveling from planet to planet, jumping through portals, constantly on the lookout for any sign of Sentient life forms. The Blue Sentients had bent the Reds to their will, to their ways, their idiotic customs of peace and knowledge. They were inferior, and yet without Krytus, the willpower of the Reds had crumpled under their insatiable thirst for power.

They had lost motivation. They had been blinded by false ideals of peace, the end of war, the dawn of a new era for Sentients.

It was ridiculous. They knew not what they hungered for; they were falsely satisfied by what the Blues forced down their throats. She would be the first to admit that the Red Sentients were not the more intelligent of the two, but they were certainly the more aggressive. It enraged her every day to know that her brothers and sisters had been so fooled, deceived by the lesser race. The fact scorched her with anger every passing day she fought to survive the bitter existence she now led.

It was the Rock Zone this week, pillars of stone and not much else. It was boring, and dreary, and she fed on pathetic life forms the size of Krylox's brain. She was reduced to a shell of her former huntress glory, forced to hide in godforsaken BattleZones, fighting just to stay alive. One of her inside sources had informed her that all of the respawn chambers had been destroyed. If they caught her now, that would be it. Her end. Of course, the Blues were much more interested in her banishment than her death, but she would have almost preferred dying to spending eternity in a frozen block of ice.

"They're coming for you, Kyburi." Her sister spoke gravely, red eyes boring into her through the screen of the Venikus. "They're coming for all of you." Kiry had never dedicated her life to Krytus as so many others did, but she knew what he had meant to Kyburi. Kiry didn't wish death upon anyone, and though she knew the Council believed her sister deserved it, she was determined to keep her safe. They had a communication link set up, and while the Blues had interrogated her, she had told them that she had no idea as to Kyburi's whereabouts, and made it apparent that she preferred peace like the rest of them. The second part was not a lie. Kiry was not like many of the other war-like Red Sentients, who had been put into stasis after Krytus's reign came to an end. The Council considered them to dangerous; too likely to start another rebellion. Despite Kiry being the blood sister of Kyburi she felt no burning hatred toward the Blues. She would have preferred that the two races coexist, but it seemed that could not be the case. She knew she was not helping peace come by protecting Kyburi, but what could she do? They were sisters. They had been on their own together for so long.

"I know." Kyburi said through clenched teeth. "But I refuse to allow them to defeat me."

"The human they call the Crimson One, he is combing the BattleZones, one at a time, searching for traces of antimatter. It will not be long before you are compromised." Kiry said with fear in her voice.

"Do not call him by that name!" Kyburi hissed, about to rake her claws through the screen but then thinking better of it. "Only Krytus is truly the Crimson One!"

"I apologize, sister, but you must heed my warning!" Kiry pleaded. "Come home! I can hide you from them, shield you until-"

"Until what?" Kyburi demanded. "I will never be forgiven for my crimes. The Council will banish me as they did to the rest of my team." She shook her head in irritation. _Fools. _All of them but Krytus, fools. Kytren and Krylox, rash and senseless as ever, had gone straight to Modulon 5 in an idiotic attempt to avenge their leader. They were imprisoned almost instantly by Borealis and his other Blue warriors, and sentenced to banishment, their icy tombs just paces away from that of their leader. Kyburi had sensed their energies fade and die, but felt only the tiniest bit of remorse. They were fools, and they should have known better. She hadn't particularly cared for either of them anyway. Her only reason for staying with that team was Krytus. Kyrosys had not lasted much longer. He was more cunning than the other two; Kyburi gave him at least that much credit. He had tried, as she had, to hide discreetly in a BattleZone, and lasted for three weeks. He was not smart enough to keep changing his position, and Borealis had tracked him down. She missed him slightly more than the others; they had been closer. That left only her; one more ice block just waiting to trap her in eternity with her team. She had been running from them for nearly four months now.

"Hiding here would still be better than jumping amongst countless BattleZones!" Kiry protested. "Kyburi, it is only a matter of time before they discover your location! You antimatter would be easily hidden among the thousands of Reds that live everyday lives here! Why, we could modify your exoskeleton so that you were nearly unrecognizable! Sister, I beg of you, you must return home!"

"And how might I do that?" Kyburi accused. "The Blue Sentients monitor every portal that opens to their planet or ours." She said bitterly.

"We could find a way!" Kiry exclaimed desperately. "Kyburi, you must know…they are using Solara to find you."

"_What?!_" Kyburi hissed in hatred.

"She visits the Council's headquarters for hours on end, attempting to amplify her mental link enough to pinpoint your coordinates." Kiry nodded grimly, and Kyburi snarled, baring her pointed teeth. Solara was her Blue twin, her equivalent, but hardly with power equal to that of Kyburi. Solara and Sage had played together as young Sentients, and when she discovered Kyburi's allegiance with Krytus, she had been furious.

"I severed my mental link with Solara years ago." Kyburi hissed quietly, suddenly feeling as if she were being observed.

"Yes, but she still can access it. The Blue's technology has become far more advanced since their minds were restored." Kiry said gravely.

"Kiry, I—" Kyburi paused. The spikes that protruded from her skull almost seemed to quiver in warning. "I must go." She said quickly, resuming her guard.

"Kyburi—" She had to cut her sister off. As the video connection closed, she gripped the controls of the Venikus, scanning all around her for—

_There!_

"Your vehicle betrays you, _huntress_." She snarled in menace at the tiny glimpse of green vehicle showing from behind a rock mountain. This Zone was full of the things, full of places to hide. They were helpful in concealing her but also aided her enemies in sneaking up on her.

"And your failure to check _all_ of your surroundings betrays you, Kyburi!" She heard the voice of the human she so loathed, but it did not come from the blasted emerald vehicle. Instead, the green-suited human landed on the hood of the Venikus with a jarring thump, perfectly balanced. Kyburi snarled as she quickly put it together that the vehicle had only been a decoy, and that the human had ambushed her by jumping from one of the taller rock monuments.

"If it's a fight you're looking for, human, it's a fight you'll get!" She snapped, in no mood for games. She had to eliminate the creature quickly before her team could follow. The human jumped back from the Venikus just seconds before Kyburi absorbed it into herself, so that they were on the rocky ground, face to face.

"Where's your backup team, human? Hiding in the cliffs like cowards?" She taunted. They circled each other distrustfully, waiting for the first move.

"I came alone." Her adversary replied coolly. "Thought it would be more fair considering you don't have a choice."

"Aghhh!" Her words infuriated Kyburi, and she lunged forward to strike that stupid smirk right from the human's face.

Her foe just dodged her attack, flipping gracefully to land a blow to Kyburi's stomach. The Red Sentient flew back with gritted teeth; her core couldn't sustain this much damage, and the human had grown stronger. She would never admit it to a living soul, but the human was a skilled fighter, almost as capable as herself.

"I'll make you regret that!" She threatened, although it was somewhat weak. She rose to stand, but the human was there again, tackling her to the ground and pinning her in a position that made it impossible to retaliate.

"I have a name, you know." She gritted her teeth with the effort of keeping Kyburi on the ground.

"I am well aware of that, human!" The Red hissed furiously. "But we have never cared to learn any of your names! You are as insignificant and numerous as ants, and distinguishing one from the other is as pointless as counting the stars! You disgust us, human, and we could not possibly care about you any less!"

Her rival laughed, an action that infuriated the helpless Red.

"Don't you get it, Kyburi?" The human looked down in condescension. "There is no 'us'. There is no 'we'. Your team is imprisoned. Frozen. Any of your former Red supporters have either been placed in stasis or rehabilitated. You're completely unaided in your struggle, and yet you still continue to fight. For what? Even if you could make it to the Red planet, none of them would listen to you. You're an outlaw. A fugitive. You're _alone_."

Her derision stung Kyburi to the core.

"As are you, human." She finally recovered enough to say. "What gave you such courage as to face me unaccompanied? Did you think you could defeat me, bringing home the spoils of war like the horn of the Magmatrox?" She watched as the human grew more agitated at her mockery, watched her doubt herself, and pressed further.

"Or was it because of the Council? Did they not think you strong enough to take on such a mission? Was it Sage? Or even your own leader, so great, fearless, and powerful, didn't trust you enough to let you embark?" She said snidely, and could see her rival quivering with rage.

"Vert trusts me more than anyone else on the team!" The human snapped, and in her outburst, Kyburi made her move, throwing the human off of her and lunging at her before she could react, so that their roles were reversed.

"Your emotions betray you, human." She hissed coldly, watching her foe's expression try to remain strong. "You care too much for your team and leader especially, and it will be your end. I will see to it. After all, do you see where being loyal to Krytus has gotten me?" Kyburi allowed a bitter laugh to escape her dark lips. "You may be right, human. I may be an outlaw. I may be alone. But at least I am still able to defeat _you!_" She raised her hand to slash her claws down the human's cheek, but her target rolled just inches out of her reach. Kyburi howled in frustration, plunging her claws down fruitlessly onto the rock, but the stupid subspecies evaded her again and again, and the rock surface was dulling her prided claws with every attempt.

"You wish, Kyburi!" The human retorted, slipping out from underneath her and springing back into a fighting stance. "And the name is Agura." She lunged at Kyburi and they fought vigorously, each just about to pin the other but then the tables would turn again. It was exhausting, and Kyburi was out of practice, but she refused to be defeated by this pitiful human. Kyburi's skills, once so honed, had deteriorated slightly in the past weeks of running and hiding, without much time for fighting. Even her kills had to be made quickly and in secret, and she no longer received any pleasure from them. Thinking of all this only amplified her rage, and she directed all of it, at that moment, towards her foe.

"You will pay for what you and your team did to my mate!" She snapped as they brawled, and the remark almost caught the human so off-guard that she lost the advantage.

"Krytus was your _mate_?" She demanded in shock, and Kyburi cursed for letting such a private piece of information slip.

"It is no concern of yours, human!" She said angrily. The fight seemed to last an eternity, and neither could gain an upper hand for more than a second. Kyburi had quickly come to realize that she had a massive advantage; the human was not only averse to killing, but wished to only disable her long enough to show off her prize before her banishment.

Kyburi was the total opposite. She thrived on killing. At that moment, in the heat of battle, she craved nothing more than to sink her sharpened claws into the human's flesh and suck every last drop of life from her body. She shivered in pleasure at the thought, and invigorated by the image, fought much harder. The human was tiring. After all, she was merely an organic creature. Kyburi felt that she could end the battle, and with a final massive effort, pinned the human down. She raised her claws as if contemplating them, torturing the pinned prey before the final strike. She swiped her fingers down and buried them in the rival's shoulder, watching in delight as her life force slowly slipped away, absorbed into her own core. It had been so long since she had truly hunted, truly killed. Yes, she had stolen energy from lesser creatures in order to stay alive, but that was dull work. This was wholehearted revenge, and it was wonderful. The human huntress fought her every step. Even the energy pouring into her felt rebellious, but Kyburi kept her claws planted firmly, and soon her struggling grew weaker.

"You'll still be alone, you know." The green-suited human choked out. "I hope you don't consider this a victory."

"Oh, I do, human." Kyburi grinned wickedly. She loathed this being more than any of them, more than even the one who dared call himself the Crimson One.

"You know it's…one for my team too." Her fading rival choked out, lifting her wrist to display the com-link all Battle Force 5 members wore. It blinked blue, the pulse becoming more rapid with every passing second, sending out a signal to her team like a beacon.

_A tracking device._ The words hit her like a blow.

"Aghhhh!" Kyburi screamed in rage, ripping her claws out of the human's shoulder. With it, she tore bits of flesh, but this pathetic creature had denied Kyburi her murderous revenge. "You'll pay for this, human!" She hissed, leaping into the air and forming the Venikus. Her revenge had distracted her from her surroundings, but she heard the sound that meant her end now: the distant roar of engines.

They were coming.

She gave the human a final, bone-chilling glare before the Venikus roared off.

"We will meet again, _Agura_." Kyburi hissed. Her foe was still lying on the ground, drained of all energy and too weakened to even stand up. _Another minute and she would have been finished. _Kyburi thought furiously. She watched through her mirrors as the four other vehicles screeched to a stop around their fallen teammate. The leader in red, the one who had the audacity to even consider himself the powerful Crimson One, was the first out of his car. He ran over to the fallen huntress and picked her up, and Kyburi felt a pang of loneliness in her core.

_Krytus would have been there for her. He always had been._

She tore her eyes from the mirror and accelerated towards the looming portal.

_Accursed humans._

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Kyburi! Thank the heavens you're alive!" Kiry exclaimed as her video screen popped up on the Venikus.

"For now." Kyburi said quickly. She had an important question for her sister. "Kiry, I need you to do something for me."

Kiry's face darkened. "What would that be?"

Kyburi produced in her hands, from pure energy, a glowing red figurine. It was no more than a few inches tall, and resembled a pyramid except in the fact that the base was pentagonal. "I need you to assist me in cutting Solara's mental link to me." She said gravely, and Kiry's eyes widened. "If you can get this artifact near enough to her, it will sever the connection."

"But, Kyburi, for me, your Red sister, to get close enough to Solara?" Kiry reminded her. "That would be nearly impossible! The Council barely trusts me enough to allow me to live on Modulon 5 as it is, and if I were caught the very minimum sentence would be deportation to the Red planet! I wouldn't be able to update you with information regarding their search for you, and removal to the Red planet would only be the most moderate consequence!" Kiry protested.

"Kiry, if Solara continues to search for me, my location _will_ be compromised!" Kyburi said desperately. She was too prideful to beg, but the situation was dire. "All you have to do is get near to her. Within twenty paces. You should be able to steal away in the back alleys, no?"

Kiry bit her lip.

"Sister, you know I would do so many things for you, and that I want you to remain alive, but I beg of you, simply _come home!_ We can move to the Red planet, you could hide! It would be so much easier—"

"No!" Kyburi said harshly. "I cannot return to that planet!" She did not give her reasons to Kiry, but that place reminded her too much or Krytus, a memory that was too painful to bear.

"Kyburi—"

"Kiry." She said gravely. "I _implore_ you. Take the artifact. Try to reach Solara." Kyburi shrunk it in her hands and, using her mental powers, pushed it across the Multiverse and into her sister's.

"I…I will try." Her sister said fearfully. "But I can make no promises."

"I understand. Contact me in two days' time." Kyburi said, and Kiry nodded. She lifted her palm to the video screen as if to share a synapse with Kyburi, who did the same.

"Farewell, sister. I wish you luck."

"Same to you." Kyrosa said grimly, and cut off the connection. Kiry surveyed the bleak BattleZone she had ended up in, and the blasted human huntress's words rang in her ears.

_You are alone._

What frustrated her most was that the human, Agura, had been right. All of her hope lay in Kiry. No matter what she tried, they would always find her eventually. Even the huntress on Battle Force 5 had been able to track her down. It was in these dark times when she wondered what the point of it all was.

Her team was gone.

Her planet was dominated by a mixture of Blues and Reds.

Her people allowed themselves to be ruled by the Council of Five.

She had nothing to return to.

Why did she fight so badly to continue this bleak existence? Running from Zone to Zone, feeding on the lowest of creatures, and so weakened that she could not even defeat a _human?_

It was pitiful, and yet, she fought on.

But for what?

"_Krytus."_ His name touched her lips and brought with it a flood of memories.

_They had met so long ago…_


	2. A New Beginning

**And so begins the headcannon! I know that technically the Vandals were supposed to take over Modulon 5 but personally, I think that the Reds and Blues lived in peace on each other's planets for thousands of years until obvious differences began to result in conflict. Anyway, enough of my rambling, you can read for yourself!**

**DISCLAIMER: You do NOT need to watch 'Full Revolution' to read this. This chapter and the next several are all going to be a flashback, mostly from Kyburi's point of view, of how she, the Sentient war, and the RS5 came to be. Maaaaaaany more chapters to come. Read on, and thanks for everyone's kind reviews!**

She had been young, just ten million, living on the Blue planet. Her mother, Kiriana had been a Red Sentient and her father Sorak Blue, and as Sentient custom went, the female axon would subjugate and live on the male's homeworld.

It was perfectly safe then.

Times were different then.

Kyburi's mother, Kiriana, had died in the conception of Kiry. Her Blue twin had not survived, while Kiry's interrupted creation had left her with minor defects. She didn't grow as fast as the other Reds her age, and was so naïve. But she was caring until the end, and sometimes Kyburi believed her dying Blue twin's traits had been somehow incorporated into her. Conceiving for Sentients was vastly different from reproduction in other species. Female Sentient shells could not be altered to support a child, and so creating a pair of Sentient twins was a completely mental, yet still intimate process. Both male and female had to be in complete agreement in the decision to form a child, and the procedure was long and complex. It was an intricate synapse, and both the male and female Sentient had to be fully committed and synchronized in their thought processes. Kiriana and Sorak had pressed their hands and chests together until their very cores nearly touched, and in that moment, both Sentients became one. The heat from the reaction produced a spinning orb of energy, both blue and red, that would eventually produce twin Sentients. The process had been completed without complication for Kyburi and Solana, but for Kiry and her uncompleted Blue twin, that was not the case. The Sentient orb had to be kept under specific conditions in order to maintain life. It was placed in a certain room, specifically designed for Sentient incubation, and had to be accessed by both male and female axon almost daily. Kiriana and Sorak together would add their core energy, spinning life into the red and blue sphere, until finally, after a gestation period of several years (next to nothing for creatures who lived for millennia), two twin Sentients were born from it.

Unless something went wrong. If the orb was not regularly supplemented with energy from both Sentients, development could be halted, changed, or even mutated. In the final quarter of gestation, Sorak had become deathly ill. He was hospitalized for months, and with no way for him to access the orb, Kiriana was forced to watch her unborn children wither. Sentient medical professionals examined the situation, but only the male who had created the life orb could spin energy into it. It was close to birthing them now, and Kyburi could make out the two small forms, curled tightly together inside its warmth. Just days before the twins were supposed to emerge from the orb, Sorak died. Kiriana was so distraught by her twins she hardly even had time to grieve for her fallen mate. She refused to give up on her children, but with no choice but to watch them die like Sorak had, she made one final, desperate attempt. She contacted the axons of Sage, Solara's closest friend, and begged the Blue male, Somark, to try and add his energy to the orb one last time. Somark and Sari, Sage's axons (both Blue), knew it wouldn't work, but Kiriana had implored them to try. Kyburi, just ten million at the time, would never forget watching everything fall to pieces. Solara and Sage had been off playing, not realizing the gravity of the situation. Kiriana had tried to hide it from her children, but Kyburi was cunning, and knew everything from hearing it behind closed doors. She watched from a crack in the door as her mother pleaded and Somark wavered.

"Please, Somark, I beg of you! You're the only male I would trust to aid the process!" Her mother pleaded. The orb, translucently revealing two small forms, hovered just inches away from them.

"I'm telling you, Kiriana, it can't be done! I won't harm your children!" Somark snapped firmly.

"Somark, you must! Without Blue energy they'll die!" Kiriana cried.

"They could die just as easily with the influence of another Blue male!" Sari cut in. "Kiriana, listen to reason!"

"I refuse to sit another day while they wither away in there!" Kiriana said determinedly. "They are _dying, _Sari. If it were your children, would you not do the same?" She implored, and Sari sighed. She exchanged a long look with Somark, who finally nodded in defeat.

"I will try." He bowed his head in submission. "But I make no promises."

"And if they are still…damaged," Sari said slowly, "You must promise me not to grieve too heavily."

"I have already grieved." Kiriana said simply. "Now I hope to rejoice."

Somark looked to his mate once more before slowly extending his hand towards the orb. The charged cloud surrounding it sparked with energy, as if sensing the presence of Blue matter, and almost gravitated toward him as if thirsty for the Blue's touch. Somark set his jaw and just touched the sphere with the tip of his index finger. A single spark popped at the contact, and then everything went wrong. A lightning rod of electricity ignited from the point of connection, zapping the entire orb. Somark gasped and was yanked back by Sari, whose eyes were wide with fear. The entire sphere convulsed, sending shockwaves of red and blue energy slamming through it.

"What's happening?!" Kiriana screamed over the zapping of energy.

"The orb rejected his matter!" Sari shouted back. "It is self-destructing!"

"No!" Kiriana gasped. She watched in horror as the two fragile figures within, her twins, were shocked and shaken, felt their pain as if it were her own. "My children!" She cried. The orb was close to exploding, and the very air was charged.

"Kiriana, we must leave this place!" Somark tried to pull her towards the door.

"I have to save them!" She writhed from his grasp and threw herself into the spasming orb.

"Kiriana!" Sari screamed. The Red Sentient female was desperate. Her arms were shaking in sync with the convulsions, completely immersed in the orb, and she clutched with ferocious intensity the form of the infant Red Sentient and dragged her out with such exertion Somark worried she might collapse.

"Kiriana, stop!" He stepped in between her and the orb with his arms firmly crossed. Sari took the tiny newborn Red in her blue arms and gazed on in fear.

"Not until I save the other!" Kiriana shoved him out of her path and drove her arms into the orb again, which was now shaking with greater intensity. It was clear that it would not support life much longer, and sparks flew from the Blue figure within. Miniature bolts of electricity transferred from her to Kiriana, and it was as if the sphere was sucking her in.

"Somark, save her!" Sari cried, and Somark reached forward and gripped the convulsing Red Sentient's form. He grit his teeth and slowly pulled her away from the orb, while she gripped the Blue Sentient body in her hands for dear life. When the tip of the infant's foot left the sphere, it imploded, leaving Sari holding a Red Sentient child and Kiriana clutching to her chest its Blue twin.

Somark watched the spot where the orb had imploded, sucking into itself and simply disappearing. There almost seemed to be a remaining buzz in the air, as if—

"Get down!" He grabbed Sari and threw them both onto the ground next to Kiriana, just before a shockwave of blue and red ripped through the entire house. Kyburi heard his cry and ducked just before the wave tore through the door she had been hiding behind and crumbled it in two. Somark and Sari slowly stood up, looking at each other in fear. Slight trembles still pulsed through Kiriana's body and with them, miniature bolts of electricity. Kyburi, dread growing in her chest, couldn't stand it a second longer.

"Kiriana!" She pushed past the collapsed door and knelt by her axon's body. Sentients had no parental terms for their axons, but rather by their first names.

"Kyburi, what are you doing in here?" Sari gasped.

"What's wrong with her?" Kyburi demanded tearily. "Why is she glowing?" That was the only term that came to mind for the unnamed tremors going through her axon's body. In desperation, she pressed her hands onto her mother's stomach in an effort to revive her, and was jolted back. Kyburi's head was thrown back as her back arched and body surged with energy.

"Oh, no, not both of them." Sari whispered in fear, but the shock soon stopped, and Kyburi merely blinked. She could feel the last bits of energy still pulsing in her fingertips, but she appeared not to have been affected.

At least, not that they knew of. Not yet.

The shock seemed to have taken all of the life out of her axon.

"Kiriana?" Kyburi asked quietly. "Kiriana!" She shook the Red female desperately, but her axon made no movement or response. The light slowly faded from the hands and feet, dimming along her appendages and tracing back to her core, where it finally went out. Sari gasped silently; she knew the truth Kyburi was too young to understand.

"Kiriana…" Kyburi whispered finally, clutching her mother's hand. "No…"

Sari knelt by the child.

"I'm so sorry." She said, and handed her the Red infant. When her sister was placed in her arms and looked up at her with softly glowing eyes, Kyburi suddenly knew that she would die to protect the child.

"She is yours to name." Sari said softly.

"Kiry." Kyburi responded, as if talking to herself. "For her." She looked down at her axon's corpse, still clutching the dead Blue child. "Her twin…didn't make it, did she?" Kyburi looked at Sari with sad eyes, and the Blue Sentient female nodded in remorse.

"Don't worry, my child. We will take care of you."

At that moment, Kyburi had believed it with all her heart.

She now knew it had been nothing but a lie. Sage's family adopted Solara. Why shouldn't they? She was Blue. She was Sage's best friend. She fit right in, especially on Modulon 5.

Kyburi and Kiry did not. They were put in an orphanage, up for adoption. Unwanted. No one would adopt a Red on a Blue planet, and certainly not two who refused to be separated. Kyburi cared for Kiry every day, keeping her close despite being bullied by the young Blues in the orphanage. With time, they all went. All adopted. All wanted. All happy. But there were always more to replace them, always more to torture Kyburi, to taunt her for her Red form. She stayed strong only for Kiry, who was merely a babe. She couldn't defend herself, and so Kyburi had to. For her mother. Every so often, Solana or Sari would stop by, check in, make sure they were being treated fairly. But the abusive Blues always seemed the picture of innocence when they were there.

"You know, they would adopt you if they could." Solara said quietly, taking her twin's hand. They were sitting at a table in the visiting room, alone. Kyburi, now twelve million but mature beyond it, clutched Kiry tightly in her arms.

"That's a lie." Kyburi snapped. She knew it was wrong to be mad at her twin but lately, it was as if everything had gone right for Solara. Everything had been handed to her. "If they truly cared they would have at least brought us to the Red planet. No Blues want us here, and none ever will."

"Somark and Sari _do_ care-"

"Then why are we sitting in this room?" Kyburi demanded angrily. "Why do you get to go back to a real home while I have to return to my bunk and make sure no one has stolen what few belongings I have left? Why do I have to live in fear of every Blue here while you play and laugh with them? Why do I have to exist in the fact that no one on this planet would ever take me away from this place?"

"Kyburi, don't be so dramatic." Solara snipped.

_She didn't understand. She never would._

Solara continued. "Somark and Sari would take you in, it's just that-"

"They're both Blue, and we're both Red." Kyburi stated flatly. "Face it, Solara. We don't belong here. We don't belong anywhere."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Solara glanced up at the clock anxiously. "Um, I have to go. Sage and I—…er, I have plans."

"Right. You and Sage." Kyburi said blankly. "Have fun."

Solara stood to leave. "Um, bye, Kyburi. I'll stop by soon."

"Bye." Kyburi said emptily, and watched as her sister left. As the door slammed shut, she stood, taking Kiry and walking back to her quarters in the lonely building. All of the females shared one wing filled with bunk beds, and the males the other. Kyburi kept her bunk as far away from the Blue females as possible, and so far no one had volunteered to share it with her. She hid her most personal belongings on the top cot in a weak effort to protect them, but after talking with Solara for even a few minutes she was sure the female Blues would have poked around. When she reached the dormitory, she realized with a sad recognition that several of them were crowded around her bunk. Kyburi steeled her nerves and took a deep breath, approaching them uneasily, her stilettoed feet clacking a warning as she advanced. The Blue females stared her down as she drew closer to them, not saying a word, her belongings spread on her bottom bunk for inspection. The girls in this particular group were her regular tormenters, and their leader a particularly cruel Blue named Samira. Kyburi swallowed.

_You are not afraid of them. They are weak._

"What are you doing with those?" She demanded, stopping in front of them with her arms folded. There were several of her belongings spread on the bunk, but there was only one she truly cared about.

"What, _this_?" Samira raised an eyebrow, holding up a red necklace salvaged by Kyburi from the wreckage of their home. Kyburi's eyes widened; that was the only memory she had of her axon.

"Give it back." She said coldly, panic rising in her chest.

"Oh, but it's just _sooooo_ pretty." Samira smirked, unlocking the clasp and moving her hands to her neck as if to put it on. Anger seized Kyburi, and she gripped the young Blue's arm with surprising force.

"I said, _give it back._" She said forcefully, digging her nails into the cold shell. Kyburi felt something at that moment, felt the pulse of Samira's core, felt the warmth energy running through her below the cold exterior shell. She thought of how easy it would be to suck the life right out of her, and as they locked eyes, that was exactly what happened. Kyburi was not aware of what she was doing. Samira held her death gaze, but as her arm grew cold beneath Kyburi's grip, her eyes widened, and she looked down at the appendage in shock. Its blue glow had faded to a dull gray all the way up to her shoulder, and the azure light was fading fast, drawing towards her core. The lifeless hand went limp, ad Kiriana's necklace tumbled from it and onto the floor.

"What are you _doing_?!" Samira shrieked, making a panicked struggle to break free. Her arm slowly resumed its natural blue glow, the gray being taken over, but Kyburi stood frozen in shock, her trembling hand at her side.

"I knew there was something wrong with her!" Samira exclaimed shakily, still fearful. "J-just stay away from me!" She stumbled off of the bed and sprinted away, the other Blues following her in fright. Kyburi slowly fell onto her mattress in realization. She gripped the hand, the thieving, mysterious devil of a hand, in her other, and examined it closely, setting Kiry down beside her. Her hand was glowing a bright, angry red, more than usual, but the glow was gradually subsiding and fading, drawing back into her. She could feel its pulse traveling through her and finally reaching her core, and she let out a quiet gasp. It was as if five sleepless nights had been eliminated, and the truth slowly dawned on her.

_She had stolen Samira's energy._

In fear of herself, Kyburi dropped her hand, watching it fall onto the bed. What had possessed her to do that? She hadn't _meant_ to steal Samira's energy. She hadn't even known she could. It was terrifying but exciting at the same time. Would the Blues finally stop their torment of her now?

Her small triumph was sadly short-lived. Samira had gone to the head director of the orphanage and told her everything. The director had never been fond of keeping two Reds in his company, and was happy to have an excuse to get rid of them. Kyburi and Kiry were thrown onto the streets, a twelve million year old Red in a Blue world with a child to support. She had with her only Kiriana's necklace, and just minutes after leaving the orphanage, knew it was her only chance of survival so far.

Kyburi sold it. It had felt like someone had ripped out a piece of her soul, but she sold it. It was their only hope. Now that they had money, they needed shelter. She found herself at her old house, the one that had been leveled after the explosion of the orb and thus foreclosed. It was dangerous, but she knew better than anyone that beggars couldn't be choosers. Only one room in the house was still livable, and slowly Kyburi was able to salvage their belongings, selling almost everything but the bare minimum she and Kiry would need to survive. Their living room came to contain a mattress, a light, a small table, and not much else. Selling their belongings left her with money, but Kyburi was not too young to know it wouldn't last forever. So, at twelve million years old, she set out to find a job.

Kyburi was sixteen million when she met Krytus. She had just come home from work, sorting books at the Modulon 5 library. It was a dull job, repetitive and uninspiring, but it was one of the few that would take her in these tense times between Blue and Reds. It kept Kiry alive, and that was all that mattered. Kiry was eight million now, and Kyburi was helping her learn how to read with one of the books from the library. She could have easily enrolled Kiry in public school, for it was free to all Sentients, but free was starting to have a different meaning for the Reds on Modulon 5, and Kyburi didn't want to put her sister through her experience at the orphanage. It didn't help that Kiry developed more slowly than other Sentients her age, who had learned to read Sentient symbols at just six million.

It was seven o'clock, and growing dark outside. Kyburi still remembered the page she had been reading when he had opened the door.

Krytus had been young at the time, just seventeen million, but standing there in the middle of their door, red core shining in the darkening night, he seemed eons older than she. Kyburi would never forget how he looked that night, the shock on his face when he realized that he had barged in to someone's home.

"I—I'm sorry, I thought this place was abandoned." He said quickly, taking a step closer. Kyburi stood abruptly, the clawed extensions at the end of her fingertips already trembling in warning. No one had ever visited their small home, much less walked right through the front door.

"What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" She demanded, trying not to let her voice shake. Kiry, eyes wide, clutched her hand tightly.

"I was just—…" Krytus took another step, looking at her more closely. "You're red." He stated in surprise, and Kyburi suddenly felt very conscious of how she looked.

"Well, yes." She nodded, wishing she had some sort of covering. Of course, no Sentients wore technical clothing, but she still felt very exposed.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…there aren't many Reds here anymore." Krytus looked at her more closely.

"Well, some of the Reds don't have a choice." Kyburi said coolly, trying to sound in control. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"A friend of min— of my sister, used to live here. I'm trying to find one of her old—"

"Solara?" Kyburi exclaimed, and Krytus nodded, surprised.

"Yes. Do you know her?" He asked.

"She—She's actually my Blue twin." Kyburi admitted, and Krytus gasped.

"Then…you…you must be Kyburi." He said finally, and she took a step back, somehow vexed that he knew her name. "I'm Krytus."

That name would stay with her a long time. He lifted his hand in greeting, asking to synapse with her. Kyburi hesitantly raised her palm to his, and miniature sparks flew between the two. She was slightly taken aback by the intimacy of the feeling. Kyburi had synapsed before, but his felt different. Trusting.

"Solara's told me a lot about you." He said shakily. It appeared the synapse had affected him as well. "I thought you were at the orphanage?"

Her eyes narrowed a little. Was that how he thought of her? _Orphanage girl?_

"No." She said coolly, and that was the only explanation she gave him. "Why are you here?"

"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you." He said gently. "Solana wanted to look for one of her old bracelets, but my mother didn't want to send her out alone at this hour."

"Well, you can tell her that it's gone." Kyburi folded her arms.

"Do you…really live here? All on your own?" He asked slowly, looking around the small room.

"Yes." She said again, arms still folded.

"Huh." He said finally. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, Kyburi."

This shocked her a little. She thought he might try to stay.

"Right." She nodded, still a little wary. "I'll see you."


	3. Growing Closer

**A/N: Not much to say today except that this is all still flashback, except you can't really call it a flashback because it spans several more chapters. KrytusxKyburi, here we go!**

The next day, someone came again, this time knocking. The thuds on the door sent fear racing through Kyburi's core; did they plan to take her away? To take Kiry away? This she should never allow, and flexed the hand that had stolen Samira's energy so long ago.

"Hello?" She opened the door slowly and found Krytus standing there, something clutched behind his back.

"Hi." He pulled it out and showed her a blanket. "I thought you could use this."

Kyburi was tempted to tell him that she didn't want his charity, but Kiry shivered at night, and she had to swallow her pride.

"Thank you." She took it. That was the summary of their interaction, but the next day, he came back. This time with a lamp. The next day with a book for Kiry. Sometimes small, sometimes big, but he would always come with something. Each day their conversations grew longer.

"Don't your axons miss any of this?" Kyburi finally asked him. She had known him for several years now, and he was perched on a stool he had brought her, fixing a leak in the roof. She had requested it, feeling guilty that he was always bringing gifts, and he seemed happy to help.

"No. At the risk of sounding cheap, most of this has been sitting in our storage unit for a while. My axons are constantly buying new things, and I just thought you could use some of it," he responded, a wrench in hand. The words sent a chill through her core.

"So, you're fairly wealthy then," Kyburi stated flatly, and Krytus shrugged, spinning the wrench in deft hands.

"I suppose you could say that. My father is on good terms with the Council, so they always make sure we're doing alright." Focused on the task at hand, he obviously didn't see how distraught Kyburi was becoming. She sank onto her mattress in slow realization, and cradled her head in her hands. When Krytus realized how silent the small room had become, he turned around and stepped down from the stool, sitting next to her and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Your family put me in that orphanage because they claimed they didn't have the money to support us!" Kyburi snapped at him. She felt guilty for taking everything out on the person who was trying to care for her, but at that moment, she was so angry with them all. "And now you're telling me that you have enough money to be throwing things away?! No. It's because I'm Red, and Kiry's Red, and they just don't want to help us! I hate this planet and every Blue on it!" She cried, burying her face in her hands. Krytus pulled her close, and she could feel warmth radiating from his core.

"I know how it feels to be unwanted." He said finally, and she looked up at him, ashamed at her weakness. "I do. I'm the only Red in a family of Blues, and you think I lead such a happy life?" He laughed bitterly. "I know exactly how it feels. Blues ruin everything. Always so cold, factual, derogatory towards Reds."

"I know exactly what you mean." Kyburi sighed, and straightened, but did not let his arm leave her shoulder, their mixed red glows shining together. "I actually sort books at the library, but the head librarian only lets me work after hours, so the Blues don't see me."

"See what I mean?" He said pointedly. "I hate being here. All of this tension between Reds and Blues is making it impossible for us to share planets." Kyburi nodded sadly. "If I were in charge, I would make things different." Krytus said firmly, and she laughed a little.

"If you were in charge?" Kyburi couldn't help but challenge it. "How would that possibly happen? The Council of Five rules everything. You're…well, you're about my age, aren't you?" She looked at him more closely.

"Depends. How old are you?" He asked devilishly, as if it were a game. Again, Kyburi felt that exposed feeling, as if the questions they were asking had extremely different meanings.

"I asked you first." She said playfully, refusing to bend.

"What if I guess? Will you tell me?" He asked impishly, and she laughed.

"Sure."

"Hmm…" Krytus scrutinized her closely, and she felt heat creeping up her neck. Kyburi was only vaguely aware of her figure at the time; there were not many Reds to compare herself to, but in Krytus's eyes, she could only hope at that moment that she was attractive.

"Are you seventeen million?" He asked finally, and she shook her head. "Eighteen, then?"

"Wrong way." She nudged him playfully, proud that he thought she was so old.

"Sixteen million?" He asked in disbelief, and she nodded. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"Is that a good thing?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah." He smiled, an unfamiliar sight. Kyburi liked it. "You're really advanced for your age."

"Thank you." She felt that same red flush again. It was a compliment in a society that valued you on mental ability. "Now you have to tell me."

"Seventeen million." He answered, and her core jumped a little. He was older than her. "I know it's not exactly Council material, but I know if I could just get them to listen, we could change things around here! Blues shouldn't think we want to harm them, and Reds shouldn't be discriminated against! It's all just so unbelievably unfair!"

"I know, but what can we do? We're just teenagers. We're young. We have no chance of starting a revolution." Kyburi said sadly. "I…I can't even move to the Red planet."

"Why not?" Krytus looked at her in surprise. "The portals are open to all Sentients. You just have to pass through a minor security check."

"No, it's not that, it's just…" Kyburi pulled her knees to her chest. _Why was she telling him everything all of a sudden? _"Never mind."

"Tell me." He leaned forward and said simply, and Kyburi realized at that moment that she felt she could trust him.

"Well, I'm scared." She admitted. "I mean, I have a job here, and a home, and neither are much, but they're enough to keep Kiry and I alive. If I went to the Red planet…so many things could go wrong." Kyburi sighed, and Krytus pulled her close to him.

"You know, one day, I'm going to go to the Red planet." He said firmly, and Kyburi looked up at him in surprise. "I'm going to stop the Red violence towards Blues, and re-integrate the planets again."

"What if it doesn't work?" Kyburi asked softly.

"Then I'll find a way. Our two races can't go on like this, barely tolerating each other. Either we live in peace, or we don't." Krytus sounded as if he believed his words whole-heartedly, and his conviction chilled her. "There's no in-between."

This left a brooding silence.

"Would you really do it?" She finally asked him. "If it came to that?"

"It will." Krytus said firmly, as if he already knew. "And at that point, someone will have to."

He stood up. "I have to go. My axons will be wondering where I've been lately. Let me know if the ceiling leaks again."

"Okay." Kyburi said disappointedly. She had grown fond of Krytus, and their conversations. They made her feel as if her life had more meaning than just keeping Kiry and herself alive. "Thank you."

"I probably won't be able to…come back, for a while." He said uncomfortably, rubbing his hands together. "My axons are growing suspicious."

"Oh." Kyburi said faintly. "I understand." Was he tired of her already? They had only known each other for two short weeks, and already he was her closest friend.

"But…I'll miss talking with you." He said, a nervous, shy smile on his face. Krytus lifted his palm to hers, and they synapsed. It felt like a promise. "I'll be back. A week. I give you my word."

"I look forward to it." Kyburi smiled softly at him as he left, the room suddenly feeling much colder.

"Ky…Kybi?" She found Kiry looking up at her with wide eyes. Kiry, now nine million, still had difficulty pronouncing her 'r's, and had called Kyburi by that name since she was able to speak. Kiry usually kept to herself when Krytus visited. She didn't seem to feel very comfortable in his presence, but Kyburi barely had the mindfulness to notice. Whenever Krytus was with her, she was enraptured. His words spoke to her like no Blue ever had. The glow of him was warm and inviting. Even his eyes smoldered with mystery and adventure.

"What is it, Kiry?" She propped the child up on her lap, in the chair Krytus had brought them.

"I…I don't like him, Kybi." Kiry said quietly. "There's something evil about him."

"Kiry, don't be silly." Kyburi stroked her sister's arm, surprised at hearing such a strong word from someone so young. "Krytus has been nothing but good to us."

"He's hiding something, Kybi!" Kiry cried, tugging on her hand. "All of his talk about Blues and Reds? It's not right!"

"You're too young to know what's right and wrong about the Blues!" Kyburi snapped, memories of the orphanage flooding back. Kiry jerked back at the harsh sound of her voice, covering her mouth with her palms in fear. Kyburi realized what she had done and sighed.

"Come here, Kiry." She held out her arms, but Kiry shook her head. "_Kiry._" Kyburi said sternly, and her sister's shoulders slumped. She gave in, coming back to sit in Kyburi's lap, and Kyburi pulled her tightly.

"The Blues have done a few bad things to us, Kiry. It doesn't mean they're bad people, but they've done bad things. You're too young to remember. Krytus is…the only one who feels the way I do, about some things, and it's just…relieving, to talk about things like that." Kyburi explained with some difficulty. "Don't let it worry you. I would never let him hurt either of us, okay?"

"Promise?" Kiry looked up at her with trusting eyes, and Kyburi sighed.

"Yes, Kiry." She leaned her forehead onto her sister's wearily. "I promise."

The next day she realized that Krytus had left his wrench there. She knew she couldn't risk going to the Blue neighborhoods to bring it to him, and that he wouldn't be back for a week, so she left it by the door to remind herself of him. But then a week passed. Kiry seemed happier, but Kyburi missed him fiercely. She worried about him, too. Had he been injured? Was he ill? Why wasn't he visiting?

When it had been two weeks, Kyburi could stand it no longer. Once the sky had grown dark and Kiry was asleep, she took the screwdriver and stole away into the night. She knew Krytus's address by heart; she had taken Solara there to play with Sage so many times, always walking home on her own. They lived in the wealthier part of Modulon 5, and she took the back alleys, which lengthened the trip but made her feel safer. She came across no one. When Kyburi was within a few blocks, the spikes protruding from her head began to quiver. It was not excitement, she realized with dread, but fear.

Blues were close. She could sense them, hear their banter and feel their energy almost as if they were right next to her. Two males. Both large. The energy running through her quickened as if telling her to get away, and she ducked into a side alley at the last minute, hoping to avoid them.

She ran right into their path, her head colliding with the taller one's chest.

"Well, what's this?" Kyburi staggered back a few feet from the collision as the first one spoke. "A Red?" He took a step forward and grabbed her arm, preventing her escape. Kyburi's eyes widened in fear.

"What're you doing here?" The taller one looked at her squarely, irritation in his eyes. "This is a Blue neighborhood."

"I-I just wanted to return something—" Kyburi stumbled over her own words. Paralyzing thoughts were running through her mind. What would they do to her? What would become of Kiry?

"Return something?" The shorter one scoffed. "What business would a Blue have with a Red like you?" He snorted in derision, and Kyburi felt her palms heat up in anger. Who was this Blue to judge her?

"Now now, take a look at her." The taller one chided, a sort of malicious teasing to his voice. "She's a pretty young thing, don't you think? I'm sure _plenty _of Blues would be more than happy to do a little business with her." He gave his associate a wink, and Kyburi gritted her teeth.

"Harder and harder for Reds to find jobs these days, isn't it, Samar?" The shorter one joined in on the jest, his eyes roaming up and down her. "I wouldn't put it past the filth."

"What do you say, little Red?" The taller one, apparently called Samar, leaned in, his Blue aura radiating spite. "How much do you go for in times like these?"

"I don't 'go for' anything!" Kyburi hissed, struggling to free her arm from his, but the massive Blue's hand gripped her like a vise. "Let me go!"

"Oh, what could an insignificant Red like you do to me?" Samar scoffed, clamping down harder and then pulling her extremely close to him. "Or I suppose a better question would be, what could a great Blue like _me_ do to _you?_" He whispered huskily, and Kyburi was wracked with waves of hatred for this Blue.

"Leave me alone!" She managed to quell her shaking voice long enough to say.

"Or _what?_" Samar demanded, almost playfully, like a hunter toying with its prey before the kill.

"Samar?" Suddenly, another voice joined the dialogue, and Kyburi looked up in desperation.

"Samar, what is the meaning of this?" Krytus demanded, storming up to the massive Blue and ripping him away from Kyburi. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, and she unsteadily nodded.

"Oh, Krytus, just having a little fun!" Samar, his wicked behavior vanished, slung an arm around the Red, making Krytus go stiff. "No harm done, eh?"

"You'll be wise to have your fun with another Sentient from now on." Krytus said coolly, shrugging his Samar's arm off.

"Alright, alright, I see how it is." Samar held his hands up, backing up along with his Blue accomplice. "Axons never taught you to share your toys?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone playful but with a dangerous undercurrent.

Krytus's right hand sparked with anger and formed a sword.

"Go home, Samar." He said evenly, pointing it right at the Blue's throat. Samar rolled his eyes, turning to go and leaving Kyburi with one final retort over his shoulder.

"See you around, Red."

Her core froze.

"Blue scum." Krytus muttered darkly, driving the point of his sword into the ground. He idly flashed it back to his hand and realized that Kyburi was trembling. "Are you alright?" He put a hand on her shoulder seriously.

"Y-yes, I…I'm fine." Kyburi lied. Krytus put his arm around her in support.

"Let's get you home."

He walked with her the rest of the way.

"What were you doing in that neighborhood?" Krytus asked seriously, once they were behind closed doors.

"I—I wanted to bring you this." Kyburi held the wrench, still clutched so tightly in her palm, out to him. He sounded angry, and when she presented the tool, his face seemed to change from surprise to exasperation.

"You know what an irrational idea that was, right?" Krytus sighed as he took it, and looked her square in the eyes. Kyburi frowned at his accusation.

"I'm…sorry, I thought you might be happier to see me." She said slowly, hurt mixing with pain inside of her.

"Not trapped underneath Samar!" Krytus snapped, and for a second, Kyburi saw fire burning in his eyes, and stepped back in surprise. He had never used that tone with her, and she was thankful Kiry was fast asleep. It scared her, and she didn't move to respond.

"I…" Krytus sighed again, a sorrowful, exhausted noise, bringing his palm to his forehead in vexation. "It's just that…I really care about you Kyburi, and when things like that happen to you, it makes me hate them even more."

Kyburi was torn. She wanted so badly so believe him and fall back into the web of trust they had shared, but seeing him in that state had shown her something she hadn't seen before, and she wasn't sure if she liked it. Kyburi knew then that she would never try to bring that out of him again.

"That…that makes sense." She said finally. "I shouldn't have gone there but I…I really missed you." She admitted, losing courage as the sentence went on.

"I missed you more than anything." Krytus said vehemently, gripping her hands in his. "Kyburi, I couldn't visit because my axons asked Sage and I to intern at the gladiatorial battles."

"Krytus, aren't those dangerous?" Kyburi gasped. She had never been to the fights against Blue and Red but had heard terrible tales. She believed that they were part of the reason the Reds and Blues were on the verge of a civil war.

"That's the worst part, I don't even get to participate." Krytus said darkly. "Sage and I are mere officiators. Our axons want us to take their places on the Council one day."

"You don't sound very happy about it." Kyburi commented curiously.

"I'm not. It's ridiculous! We're simple moderators; any simpleton could do it! It's only because our axons are in positions of political power and want to parade us around like the Blues they are."

"Don't you want to be on the Council? To have that power? A chance to change things for all of us?" Kyburi reminded him, but Krytus shook his head darkly.

"They only want Sage on the Council. They're always favored her over me. I'm only there because they think they can trick me." He muttered. "What would anyone expect from two Blues?" Kyburi remembered then that Sentient couples could be any mix of Blue and Red, but produced a set of Blue and Red twins either way.

"That must be hard for you." She said quietly, and Krytus chuckled bitterly.

"You have no idea." He said, glancing up at the clock. "It's late. I should go."

"Oh." Kyburi looked up as well; it was well past midnight. "I suppose."

"I'll come back." He gripped her hand one final time and Kyburi felt the heat radiating between them. "Promise."

_Promise like last time?_ Kyburi thought bitterly, but the thought halted when he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Not like last time." He pulled back as quickly as he had moved in and smiled shyly at her. "I'll see you."

"Bye." Kyburi said softly, stumbling over the words. The heat from his hands was nothing like the warmth radiating on her cheek. She wondered for the briefest second if mating brought that sort of heat and passion surging through her core, but shook the thoughts away. There was no time for that.

"Kybi?" Just as Kyburi was about to lie down, Kiry sat up.

"Oh, um, what is it, Kiry?" Kyburi murmured drowsily, still disoriented from the light intimacy.

"Kybi, why did he talk to you like that?" Kiry asked quietly.

"Like what, Kir?" Kyburi asked.

"When he yelled." Kiry rubbed her eyes tiredly, but it seemed more from worry than actual exhaustion. Kyburi sometimes forgot how young she was. "You looked scared, and it was because of him."

"Kiry, he…" Kyburi struggled to find something to tell her. "He was just worried. He's concerned about us."

"If he was concerned about us, he wouldn't have scared you—"

"He didn't scare me!" Kyburi snapped firmly. She would never look weak in front of Kiry. "He was worried about me and that's the last I want to hear of it! Krytus is the only person on this planet that cares about either of us and I refuse to let you drive him away!" She reclined on the thin mattress with a thud, signaling the end of the conversation.

Kiry shook her head, laying back down on her side and wrapping her arms around herself.

"He's changing you." She whispered to herself. "You won't admit to it, but he's changing you, and I don't like it."


	4. Moving On

**A/N: Dang, you guys are smart! There is a LOT of racism, imperialism, and all sorts of other –isms going against the Reds on Modulon 5 right now, and so begins the Red Sentient Civil Rights Movement, or RSCR. Just kidding, that's not a thing. How corny do you think I am?**

…**Don't answer that. Read on!**

**,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,**

It was two weeks before Kyburi saw him again. She had been using the library computers to keep track of the gladiatorial battles ever since the night with Samar. That particular day the match had been at three in the afternoon, and with tensions between the races about to reach their peak, the entire planet had been buzzing about it. The library had even been closed early so the other workers could go and watch. Kyburi had been eager to leave along with them, but the head librarian, Salir, had other plans.

"You'll stay if you want to keep your job, Red." She folded her arms. "This entire shelf needs to be filed by the end of the day."

"But, Salir, that'll take all night, and my sister-"

"You've always been a loyal worker." The Blue said forbiddingly. "We both know you need this job more than I need a Red in my library."

Kyburi bowed her head in defeat.

"Yes, Salir." She said dejectedly, picking up a manuscript from the shelf and scanning its code. All Sentient texts had been digitized but there were still many who checked out the original volumes in an attempt to translate the ancient Sentient language within them. Many of the texts were digital as well, and although reading for pleasure was not conventional for Sentients, books were considered a source of knowledge and highly valuable. Kyburi had to treat all of them with care, and as Salir left, she groaned in spite.

_Blues._ Kyburi rolled her eyes, beginning to shelve the ancient tomes. She hated leaving Kiry home for this long, especially now that the nine-million-year-old was expecting her home early. An hour passed, and then two. The library was quiet, and it was pleasant to be able to move freely around the shelves without having to worry about the Blues seeing her. Salir deducted her pay every time there was a complaint.

_Every. Single. Time._

It certainly kept her on her toes. Kyburi was cunning about it now, practically invisible. She had found that she possessed a sort of sixth sense when it came to the Blues in the library, knowing when they were about to appear. It was intriguing, but it didn't make her job much better.

It was sometime past two hours when she heard the doors of the library slam open. Kyburi was in the front wing when it happened, and turned around in surprise.

"Krytus?" She said in surprise. "How'd you get in, the library's closed—"

"Axons have a key." Krytus briefly held the key, pinched between his thumb and forefinger, for her to see.

"But what are you doing—" Kyburi tried to ask again, but there was a cold, furious look in his eyes.

"We're leaving," he said brusquely. Kyburi couldn't even process his words.

"Leaving… Krytus, be reasonable! What are you saying?" She demanded in exasperation, and he walked right up to her and gripped her shoulders in his hands. Krytus stared into her eyes with such intensity Kyburi couldn't find the strength to look away.

"We're leaving. For the Red planet. For a new _life_." He said solemnly. "But Kyburi, I _know_ I can't do it without you."

"Krytus, I don't know if—"

"But I, _do_." He said vehemently, and again Kyburi felt that intimate heat radiating at their points of contact. "Kyburi…I need you." Krytus said quietly, and he brought his thumb along the line of her cheek. Kyburi blinked at the touch, and her breath hitched in her throat. Why was it that he could make her feel these things for him? It was like nothing she had ever had with a Blue.

"Okay. I'll come." She said finally, and he nodded.

"Good." He turned around and started walking for the door. "Come on. You'll need to pack."

"Wha—Right now?" She exclaimed, and he nodded. "But—"

"I _never_ wish to return to this planet." Krytus said hotly. "I loathe it every day with every ounce of my core. We are leaving _now_." He stormed out of the library doors, and Kyburi followed persistently behind, surprised at the empty streets.

_Everyone is probably still at the fight._ She thought, but then realized with a start that Krytus had been officiating that competition.

"Krytus, what happened at the battle?" She asked softly, placing a hand on his arm. Krytus sped up his pace, ignoring her question. "_Krytus."_ Kyburi forced the strength into her voice. If he truly needed her, he would have to tell her.

"NOTHING HAPPENED!" He roared, twisting her arm away. "It is of no matter now!"

She would never find out what had happened that day, what had so infuriated him. He stormed away from her and Kyburi recoiled. He was so…_dark._ He could instill such passion in her one moment and completely rip her core in two the next. It was terrifying yet exhilarating, like speeding in a vehicle without knowing where it would turn next. The only problem was that that vehicle was her only chance to escape this planet, and she would have to learn, through good times and through bad, how to ride it.

"Kybi?" Kiry sat up the second she opened the door. "I've been waiting for you!"

"I know, Kiry, Salir kept me late." Kyburi responded quickly, pulling open a drawer. Packing would be easy. They hardly owned anything worth bringing, and Kyburi wanted only Kiriana's necklace.

"Why is he here?" Kiry asked suspiciously, her eyes darting over to Krytus.

"We're moving, Kir." Kyburi said cheerily. "To the Red planet. A new start."

"I like it here." Kiry frowned, refusing to move from her spot on the mattress.

"Trust me, you'll like it better there." Kyburi murmured to herself, digging through the drawer.

"Kybi, you're not even listening!" Kiry protested. "I don't want to go to the Red planet! There are so many bad things there!"

"There are so many bad things _here,_ Kiry!" Kyburi whipped around. "You're just too young to see them!" She hated yelling at her sister but Kiry needed to know.

"You're always saying that!" Kiry cried in resentment.

"Because it's true!" Kyburi snapped. "I'm going, and you're coming with me."

"No!" Kiry screamed.

"KIRY!" Kyburi barked, kneeling down on the ground so that her sister was at eye level. "We will go to the Red planet and you will like it. My life will be easier and so will yours. I know it doesn't make sense now, but just remember that I have to do everything I can to protect you, okay? I love you more than anything, and one day, this will all turn out for the better, but you just have to trust me." As she spoke, Kyburi held Kiry's hand, pressing her nails in ever so slightly and slowly drawing the fire out of her sister's eyes.

"Okay." Kiry said drowsily. Kyburi took just enough of her energy to make her fall asleep.

"I'll take her." Krytus stepped forward. He would ask Kyburi about the drain later, but now they had to leave. "Do you have everything?" He asked curiously, placing the child on his back and noting Kyburi's empty hands.

"Everything important." Kyburi nodded firmly. Kiriana's necklace was fastened tightly around her neck. With her wages from the library, she had finally saved enough to buy it back. It didn't feel right having any other Sentient to own it.

"Alright. We have to get to the portals before everyone returns from the arena." Krytus said hastily, but before they could leave, Kyburi paused. She looked around the small room she had called home once and then made hers once more and sighed.

"It's…strange. Leaving. Wouldn't you agree?"

Krytus, a hand on the doorframe, shook his head. "It's better."

They headed toward the main portals. One remained open at all times between the Blue and Red planets, but recently it had been heavily guarded due to the uprisings. The Blues would rather have Reds controlled here than creating more dissent against them on the Red planet, and it was becoming increasing difficult to be allowed portal use. Fortunately, all of the guards were absent today, probably still at the battle celebrating.

She was overwhelmed by emotions as the portal grew nearer.

Fear. What would become of them on the Red planet? Would she still be an outcast? Would Kiry be happy?

Guilt. Why had she taken Kiry's energy? Why had she forced her sister to come along when Kiry had made it so clear that she didn't want to?

Affirmation. She had struggled so long on this Blue planet and it was about time something good happened to her. She was standing up for herself, for a better life.

Anxiety. Would it really be a better life? What would it be like, relying on Krytus?

_Krytus._ His mood could change from loving to furious in a matter of minutes. Would she be safe? He didn't yet know about her secret ability, and she could use that to her advantage, but she so badly wanted to be able to trust him.

_Kiry doesn't,_ a nagging voice in her head continued to say, but Kyburi ignored it. Kiry was too young to have sound judgment about such things.

The feelings swelled and churned until her head started to pound, but they were at the portal now.

"Are you ready?" Krytus asked, and she took a deep breath.

"As I'll ever be." Kyburi found herself reaching for his hand, and when they clasped together, she felt a small spark. The massive portal swirled with red and black antimatter, and the black void in the center gave no glimpse as to her future.

They stepped through it, walking straight into the darkness.

The portal spat them out on the other side, and a knife was immediately pressed to Kyburi's throat.

She found herself looking straight into the eyes of a glaring Red, and glanced over at Krytus in panic. He was being held as well, the blade pressed against his neck. They were surrounded by tough-looking Reds, not just the ones holding them hostage but a protective semicircle, all holding weapons, gathered around them.

Kyburi could feel her persecutor's eyes burning into her when suddenly, the knife was released.

"They're Reds!" A joyful cry went up through the guards, and she stumbled in surprise. One particular Red appeared in the middle of the circle and greeted them with open arms.

"Kyrosys, is this how you treat your guests?" Krytus asked him lightheartedly, and the Red, apparently called Kyrosys, laughed heartily.

"My sincerest apologies, Krytus. You know how these times have made us." He nodded, and made a motion to his guards. "Stand down. He is a friend."

"Indeed I do, Kyrosys. I appreciate your hospitality." Krytus said respectfully.

"Is this the female you spoke about?" Kyrosys indicated Kyburi, who felt heat rise to her cheeks as the entire guard surveyed her.

"Yes, Kyrosys, this is Kyburi." Krytus nodded to her, and Kyrosys lifted his hand. "Kyburi, Kyrosys." They synapsed, which Kyburi hadn't expected. Most Blues simply shook hands, but when they did synapse, she felt a small surge of what she had felt with Krytus.

_Trust._

"Kyburi too has been oppressed by the Blues on Modulon 5." Krytus explained.

"As we all have been, my brother." Kyrosys nodded sadly. "And the child?" He asked, gesturing to the sleeping Kiry on Krytus's back.

"Her sister, Kiry." Krytus explained, and Kyburi noted Kyrosys's dubious look. It was clear that he did not approve of a having a child present in the middle of war.

"We could not leave her behind." Krytus added quietly. "She will be no trouble, I assure you. She is merely a youth."

"She is a liability." Kyrosys said strictly, and then looked to Kyburi. "She is your sister?"

"Yes." Kyburi nodded, a glare in her eyes. They would not separate her from Kiry.

"Be cautious with her." Kyrosys said carefully, and that was the end of the matter. "Now, neither of you have remaining Blue ties?"

"The question is, does she have Red ties?" One of the guards snickered, and Kyrosys rolled his eyes at the solider while Kyburi's eyes widened in surprise.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to her like that." Krytus said evenly, but there was obvious threat in his voice, and the Red who had spoken up shrank back.

"I apologize for him. New recruit." Kyrosys explained in discomfort, throwing a glare at the solider who had spoken up.

"That does not excuse his insolent behavior." Krytus threatened coldly.

"I understand your concern, brother." Kyrosys assured him. "Now, Krytus, your quarters have been prepared. Thank you for coming to join your brethren. We are glad you are home." Kyrosys briefly turned to his guards. "Guard the portal. Do not let anyone through regardless of color until I returned." The Reds nodded in sync and resumed their positions.

"We have a union set up for the supporters of the war." Kyrosys began to explain. "Others in your apartment building will help you become oriented. There will be plenty of jobs to take on for monetary means, but I assume you will be joining myself and others as a soldier?" He looked to Krytus inquiringly, and he nodded. "And what of you, Kyburi? Are you planning to join the forces?"

"Um…" Kyburi swallowed nervously, afraid of rebuke. "Quite frankly I wasn't aware there was a war going on or a militia forming. I simply wanted to escape Modulon 5."

"As is understandable." Kyrosys nodded in sympathy. "As long as we know where your allegiances lie you will not be forced to fight. There will be many other jobs for you to take to support yourself and your sister in our society, and we are glad you have joined us here."

"Th-thank you." Kyburi stammered, overwhelmed by his eloquence. "I appreciate all of your help."

"We must to what we can to stop the Blues from controlling us." Kyrosys shrugged as they approached a building. "This building is mainly for members of the Resistance, but because you are with Krytus, you are still welcome. Of course, we must do all we can to accommodate any Reds who oppose the Blues, and would never directly close our doors to anyone." As he spoke, they entered the building and then an elevator, and Kyburi began to realize how serious this war was.

"This is where you will stay." On the third level of the building, Kyrosys opened a door and demonstrated to them their new quarters. Kyburi accidentally let out a gasp. The apartment was roomy, and furnished with much more than her old deteriorating home.

"Kyrosys, this is…incredible." She murmured softly, stepping inside. Quantum computers, furniture, other features she didn't recognize. "Thank you."

"I'm afraid it is made more for our soldiers than a luxurious lifestyle, but you should find it suitable." Kyrosys said. "If you need anything, simply contact me. I am the head of this particular facility. Kyburi, on the main floor in apartment 102 is a Red Sentient known as Kora. She should be able to find employment for you without any trouble."

"Thank you, Kyrosys. We greatly appreciate your trouble." Krytus nodded sincerely.

"Krytus, to have a Red as loyal as you serving with us, I would go to the ends of the Multiverse." Kyrosys smiled gratefully. "I will keep in contact with you through the computer. Welcome to the planet. We are glad to have you among us." He bowed and closed the door, and Kyburi instantly turned to Krytus, who was gently setting Kiry down on a couch.

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed joyfully. "Krytus, how did you do all this? Everyone is so welcoming and kind and it's so different from Modulon 5—"

"It's like a home, isn't it?" Krytus smiled, and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's so much better." Kyburi finally felt like she had a place she belonged. She was finally happy. She didn't have to worry about Blues anymore. She was home. "How do you know Kyrosys?"

"I have been in communication with him for several weeks, actually." Krytus admitted. "It was not until today that we were finally able to come here."

"I'm glad we did." Kyburi said sincerely. Kiry started to stir on the couch.

"Kybi, where are we?" She asked quietly, looking around in confusion. Kyburi moved to sit next to her.

"Kiry, we're on the Red Sentient homeworld. _Our_ homeworld. This is where we live now." She explained softly, worrying about retaliation. "All of the Reds here are friendly and willing to let us stay. Life will be better."

"Okay." Kiry said quietly, and turned over on her side. It was clear she didn't want to discuss it any further. Kyburi sighed and stood up.

"She'll come around." Krytus comforted quietly, and Kyburi looked over at Kiry's despondent form.

"I hope you're right."


	5. Heating Up

**A/N: I kept switching between a second-person fic and this one while I was working on it so I KEPT MESSING UP THE TENSES. AHHHHHHH. Anyway this was going to be longer but I wanted to give you guys a squee-y Krytburi chapter, so it's short and sweet. And definitely t-rated.**

**Bowwchickawowwow… **

**(First bit taken from the ending of chapter four)**

"She'll come around." Krytus comforted quietly, and Kyburi looked over at Kiry's despondent form.

"I hope you're right."

Kiry did come around, with time. Kyburi was finally able to enroll Kiry in school, now that they were on the Red planet. Now ten million, she was still slower than the other Reds her age, but the teachers were kind and did a better job than Kyburi had been able to with her hectic work hours. She now had a job in the apartment complex, cleaning in the lobby and rooms and helping out with the occasional odd task. It was several steps up from her old job; increased salary and she was never more than a few floors away from Kiry. Kora, the Red Sentient Kyrosys had suggested her to, ran a small maintenance team for the apartment complex, and among her coworkers Kyburi found herself meeting friends. The same thing happened for Kiry in school, she was no longer the quiet, lonely child confined to a small room, but bubbly and excited. She was still naïve, and always would be, but she was endearing, and her growing circle of Red friends greatly helped her transition to the new planet. She even grudgingly began to approve of Krytus, a step that would have to happen in order for the three to share an apartment.

Kyburi certainly hadn't expected that stage in the process, but she had to say she enjoyed his company. Krytus was usually off on business with Kyrosys or another group in the Resistance (what the Red Sentient union had come to call themselves), but he was always home by nightfall and usually earlier. They had developed into a sort of relationship, she would call it. He was more affectionate with her, and she was less guarded. This planet had changed both of them in so many ways. She enjoyed her life more, and he was so much more energetic now that he felt he was making a difference. They discussed the war a lot, the growing tensions, how neither side had made a move but that it was only a matter of time. Their synapses each day grew longer, and questions of mating began to cross her mind. Kyburi had turned eighteen million in their first several months of living on the Red planet. Krytus was now nineteen million. They were technically adults, old enough to make their own decisions, although both had been doing that for some time. It was a milestone, and it would be interesting to see what it would bring.

"So, tell me about this new Sark project everyone's talking about." Kyburi had asked him one afternoon, when they were both home. Kiry was having a sleepover at a friend's house and Kyburi was elated that she was making friends. It didn't hurt that she got time alone with Krytus, and so they were seated on the couch in conversation.

Krytus practically brightened. "The Sark Initiative! It's incredible, actually. A scouting mission I led to one of the BattleZones, you remember it?"

"Yes." Kyburi nodded. It was a routine operation for the Resistance; sending out teams to check the Zones for any Blue activity.

"Well, it's completely desolate with the exception of electric storms. We're already working on setting up conductors to harness the electricity and with the help of Sentient nanotech the factory should be up in just a few weeks." Krytus said, and Kyburi could practically see him glowing with pride. "It's going to be—"

"Krytus." Kyburi put her hand on his wrist and had to stifle a laugh. "I barely know what the Sark Initiative _is_."

"Oh. Right." Krytus remembered. "One of the more scientifically minded Reds in the Resistance has been working on it for some time now. They're robots, programmed only to obey Reds like us. They have no free will, no desire for power. They live to serve, and they'll save us thousands of casualties, multiply our forces tenfold. The Red, his name is Simark, has multiple outlines, drones, soldiers, scouts, even more complex designs for generals and commanders with artificial intelligence. They're indispensable! It's one of our most brilliant moves in this war yet."

"I can see you're excited about this." Kyburi smiled affectionately.

"How can I not be? I've had a huge hand in the project, especially on dealing with the design of the leaders, and Simark is a brilliant Sentient. I'll have a force under my own command!" Krytus exclaimed, and she smiled.

"That's really incredible." Kyburi said, his excitement making her feel a little left out of the movement. "So, how is the Resistance going?" She tried to change the subject.

"Well, we're always busy. You can never be too prepared for a war, and there are new members to recruit every day." Krytus explained, picking up on her tone and trying to tone down his enthusiasm. Kyburi had often wondered what he meant by 'recruit'. Kyrosys had been extremely eloquent in assuring her when they had first met that she would not be forced to join the Resistance, but the way Krytus spoke sometimes made her apprehensive.

"What do you mean, recruit?" Kyburi asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He had not erupted at her since the day they had left the Blue planet and she did not want to bring on another episode.

"Well, there are still so many struggling Reds out in the streets, they're grateful to join if it means a place to sleep and wages." Krytus explained. "We have teams that comb the alleys every day, and every day our forces strengthen. No matter when this war happens, we will be ready."

"So there will be a war then." Kyburi stated somberly. Yes, she disliked the Blues and all they had done to her, and wanted them to feel some sort of pain for what she and her Red kin had suffered, but the word war brought on so many new worries and fears. Everything would be changed.

"Well, Kyburi, of course." Krytus seemed surprised she had even asked such a thing. "That's what the past three years of our lives has been." He took her hands in his, and she felt the determination radiating from them. "I mean, you know as well as I do that the Blue Sentient reign has to end. If we want to separate from them, to stop them from oppressing us and our people, something has to be done. This is past the point of peaceful negotiation."

"I understand that, it's just…a war would change everything." Kyburi managed to say. "I mean, everything has been going so well lately and I don't know if I could take having a civil war tear it all to pieces. I…" Kyburi paused. "Something has finally gone right for me, Krytus, and I just can't bear to see something happen to you."

"That means a lot to me, Kyburi." He said finally, softly. "But you have to know that this is the cause I want to dedicate myself to. I want to fight for it, to mean something. I want my name in every record book you had to shelf in that dusty Blue library. I want you and Kiry and everything those Blues did to you in the orphanage to be _avenged._" His voice shook with furious determination, and she remembered that she had poured out every detail of Samira and her reign of terror to him.

"I want to have power. I want to be able to see when something's not right and put a stop to it. I want things to be different from when the Council of Five was in charge." Krytus recovered enough to say. "I want to change things, and this is the best way to start." He said firmly.

"But I don't things to change to the point where I lose you, Krytus!" Kyburi exclaimed in a sudden burst of passion. "I…I _really, care_ about you, and if you were injured…even the tiniest crack in your shell…I simply don't know what I would do." She trailed off quietly, and he clutched her hands tightly.

"I will never let that happen. Because every day, when I'm out there, whether I'm recruiting or fighting, I'm thinking of you." He said honestly, and she let a smile touch her lips.

"Kyburi…I love you."

The words made her core freeze. _Had he really just said that?_ But there was more.

"And every day I fear that while you're here, while I'm away, another Red will come along and try to steal you from me." He admitted, stroking the lines of her palm. "And every day when I come home, you're still here, and it takes such a weight off of my shoulders. I know you don't know how beautiful you are, Kyburi, but I do, and everyone else notices. Even those idiot guards the first day we arrived. I just...it worries me."

"Krytus…" She couldn't form more than a whisper. "What are you saying?"

He leaned forward and kissed her, so suddenly and unexpectedly, but she melted into him instantly. Heat radiated at the point of contact, and she wrapped her arms around him as he cradled her neck in his hands. He pulled her closer to her, so that she could feel his core beating though his shell, producing more of that wonderful, heartfelt heat, but it was not so much a temperature but a kindling, kindling for a fire she wanted him to ignite in her. They kissed longer, and deeper, until she finally stopped him.

"I wanted you to know…I've loved you since the day you brought that blanket to my house." She admitted with a girlish giggle. She had always felt affection for him, but today, for some reason, it was burning hot, yet somehow freeing to finally say the words.

"I loved you the second I saw you." He replied lustily, and she laughed again. Carefree. It was a beautiful thing.

"Did you _really?"_ Kyburi teased, and he nodded.

"When you stood up, I knew I was stronger and older than you, but you still looked ready to fight to the death to protect that little room of yours." He described, kissing her jawline. "I saw fire in you." He pulled her to his chest. "I see it every day." His tone had grown much more serious, and her breath caught in her throat. She had been thinking about it ever since Kiry had left for her friend's house.

They were alone. They were both older now, and they had both professed their love. What else was there to do?

"And I would hate to let another Red steal it." Krytus finished with a kiss to her neck, and Kyburi warmed. He lifted his head and they stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment of utter connection.

"I feel like we're both thinking the same thing." She said finally, and he smiled in relief.

"I just want to know that you're mine. I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you, and I don't want-"

"Krytus." Kyburi laid a finger to his lips, calmed the worry in his eyes. "I want this. For us."

"Us." He smiled and leaned over her so that her back was on the couch. "I like the sound of that."

Sentient mating was worlds away from conceiving. Because Sentient shells were not made to support a child, creating a pair of Sentient twins was completely mental.

Mating was different. Once you mated with a Sentient, it completely solidified your relationship. It was a bond that could not be broken, especially for Reds. Blues were unlikely ever to mate. They were built for logic, and order, and reason. They signified their bonds with synapses, and though they were just as loyal to their mate as any Red, the Reds had far different relationships. They were made for passion; to act first and think later. They were energetic, driven, zealous. They were more capable of feeling love. Blues chose their mate based on status and logical reasoning. If a Blue and Red chose to mate, if they truly believed they were in love, a case that was rare in times like this but quite common in the time of their axons, the relationship was still possible, just less passionate than that of a Red, and less logical than that of a Blue. Apparently, Blues could mentally 'mate,' so to speak; a more powerful and deep nature of synapse, but Kyburi wasn't familiar with the concept.

In terms of Reds, she was now very familiar with the concept. There was one thing that stood out above the rest.

They were created for mating. To experience it with someone else, to enjoy it. To delight in every pleasurable second and let two shells, two Sentients, join as one. It was incredible, thrilling, intense. Beautiful. A combination of core heat and pure passion. It was a mark, a symbol, a promise. It was everything and yet left her wanting so much more. She was his. He was hers.

Them against the world.


	6. Love and a Battlefield

**A/N: Yeah, I know, hot&heavy Krytburi chapter. This next one is so much more PG. XD**

**Chapter Six: Love and a Battlefield**

War preparations continued to go on. New soldiers were recruited and more Reds joined the Resistance every day. Of course, the name Resistance was not as fitting now, because almost every Red on the planet agreed with cutting off Blue superiority in some way. Krytus and Kyburi grew closer still, and each day he left the apartment she worried away the hours until he returned. But her work and new comrades kept her busy, as did he whenever he was home. Kiry had met more friends as well, and thankfully went on more sleepovers.

The Reds and Blues were in the initial stages of conflict, minor breakouts on each planet but the major clash yet to come.

"Kyburi, Kora wants us all in the lobby." Kamila, another worker on the team at the apartment complex, poked her head through Kyburi's door. Kamila, like Kyburi, was the mate of one of the Red males living in the complex. As each building housed a team of Red warriors, when Krytus was gone, most of the apartments were empty. They always left a handful of soldiers behind in case of an invasion. Of course, most of the males were not in romantic relationships, thinking them a distraction, but the females of those who were formed the complex's 'task force,' so to speak. Right now they mostly cared for the building and its maintenance but there was much talk of converting to a hospital once the war effort progressed. Kora was the mate of Kyrosys, and as he was in charge of the male soldiers that lived there, she was in charge of the females.

"Alright." Kyburi nodded. Kora was not a force to be argued with.

She followed Kamila down the stairs and met her on the first floor with the other Red females. Kyburi was the youngest of the workers and the youngest to have a mate, but they didn't treat her much differently. A few were many millions of years older than her, but Kamila was only twenty million to her eighteen.

"Greetings, ladies." Kora nodded to them. "As you all know, our soldiers were gone last week on an undisclosed mission." There were some murmurs and nods of agreement. "Well, the purpose of that mission has been disclosed, and the males have all returned safely." A collective sigh of relief spread through the room. Kora nodded in agreement. "The mission was to scout out and recover any oppressed Reds still trapped on the Blue planet." She looked to the doors behind her, and they slid open to reveal Kyrosys.

"Thank you, Kora." He nodded to her, and the pair briefly synapsed, leading to hushed 'awws' from the Reds assembled. Kora silenced them all with an icy glare, and Kyrosys began to speak. This was before the Blues' massive assault on the Red planet, before his patrols had been brutally murdered, when he still spoke volumes.

"Yes, we visited Modulon 5 under the cover of night and retrieved several scores of Reds living under the plague of the Blues. We have brought them back with us so that they may join our cause and live in peace here, where they belong. Many of the males have already enlisted in our forces, and the warrior fire burns fiercely in their cores. A few of them will be joining our ranks and living here, and you are all expected to help the females acclimate. They will be joining you, and we must remember to remain united." Kyrosys nodded to the assembled Red female workers. "I have personally assigned some of you to the mates of the warriors I have selected to reside here. I know I can trust you to guide them and make them feel at home. For now, you are dismissed. I only need to speak with Kriyo, Kirte, and Kyburi. Thank you." He bowed curtly as the rest of the workers filed out.

"Lucky." Kamila whispered to Kyburi as she walked by.

_I hope so._ Kyburi thought to herself. She didn't know the first thing about mentoring! Sure, Kamila had helped her when she had first come here, but that was Kamila! Kyburi didn't know what to tell whoever it was—

"Kyburi, this is Korosivash." Kyrosys stepped in front of her, an anxious looking Red at his side. Apparently the new refugees had filed in while she was worrying. "She is the mate of Karmakaris, and will be staying here. She has already enlisted under Kora, to work in the hospital and on the maintenance team. I trust that you will aid her in adjustment to our ways."

"Of course." Kyburi nodded, trying to send a reassuring smile Korosivash's way. "Welcome."

The new Red avoided her eyes, and Kyrosys cleared his throat.

"Korosivash and Karmakaris are staying on the third floor," he continued. "Perhaps you could start with a tour?"

"Certainly." Kyburi replied uneasily. Korosivash was very different from the rest of the Red females she had met, and would only prove to be even more so. "Here, let me show you around." Kyburi noted the small satchel resting on Korosivash's hip. "What room are you in? We could set your things down," she attempted to make her feel more comfortable in an effort to get the girl to talk.

"302." Korosivash responded quietly.

"Oh, that's right down the hall from Krytus and I." Kyburi perked up, hoping for an opportunity for conversation. She led Korosivash into the elevator. "If you ever need anything, just let us know." Korosivash didn't respond, and Kyburi bit her lip. _Maybe she should have let Kamila do this._ The elevator door opened and Kyburi found the room 302, the door open to reveal a massive Red male standing at the computer.

"Karmakaris!" Korosivash exclaimed, sounding more energetic than Kyburi had presumed possible.

"Korosivash!" The Red male turned, equally happy. Kyburi watched wistfully as the two eagerly synapsed.

"I was worried I wouldn't be able to find you!" Korosivash admitted to him.

"Why, Korosivash, how inane! We're mates, remember?" Karmakaris laughed, but Kyburi could almost sense something more serious about his statement. "Our kind rescuers knew that!" Kyburi had a sense feeling about this Karmakaris. He seemed to be playing everything up, as if he was a part of some sort of coup. But she tried to brush off the wary feeling and tell herself that he was on their side.

"Right, o—of course!" Korosivash stammered. "I…I don't know, I was just being apprehensive, I suppose."

"Well, we're together now." Karmakaris smiled warmly. "Oh, I'm being rude. Who's this?" He looked to Kyburi, who awkwardly introduced herself.

"Kyburi." She reached out to shake his outstretched hand. "I was giving Korosivash a tour," she explained.

"Ah, well, I'll let you carry on, then." Karmakaris amended smoothly. He synapsed with Korosivash once more. "Thank you so much for your kind hospitality, Kyburi." The Red male said sincerely, and Kyburi felt guilty for ever mistrusting him.

"We're always glad to help our brethren escape the Blues," she responded truthfully. "Korosivash, would you like to see the rest of the building?" Kyburi asked, and Korosivash nodded.

"So, Karmakaris is your mate?" Kyburi asked in interest, hoping to finally initiate a genuine conversation.

"Yes." Korosivash nodded robotically, and Kyburi sighed. _So much for conversation_.

"You know, I remember when Krytus and I first came here." She tried again, and Korosivash brightened.

"You were captured too?" She asked quickly, and Kyburi looked at her in surprise.

"What? No, of course not! Krytus and I ran away!" She laughed. "Why, captured? You don't truly believe you were _captured,_ do you?" The idea of a Red thinking they were taken from the Blue planet against their own will was so absurd and so foreign to Kyburi that she didn't even consider the possibility of Korosivash being serious.

"N-no. Of course not." Korosivash shook her head. "I'm happy to be here."

"I'm glad." Kyburi responded. But, with time, everybody who had met Korosivash began to question her statement. Like the other females in the building, Korosivash became a part of the maintenance force, but didn't exactly fit in to the established cohesive group. It wasn't that the other females excluded her; in fact they were quite welcoming upon first meeting Korosivash. It was simply that she was different.

Korosivash had never been a vehement supporter of the war. She had always been rather shy when working with the other females, keeping her head bowed and quiet, always declining the other worker's offers to go out. Kyburi had become closer to her only in that she had once lived on the Blue planet too.

"I just can't _wait_ until we win this war." Kamila, working with Kyburi and Korosivash as they were the few younger females on the maintenance crew, had huffed one day. The Red males of the complex had all been gone on a scouting mission for several days, and everybody was feeling the strain of missing their mates.

"Yes, I long for the day Krytus can come home and stay there." Kyburi nodded in agreement.

"What about you, Koro?" Karam had raised an eyebrow at Korosivash, using the nickname the females had given her. In Kora's eyes, 'Korosivash' was just too long to bark a command at. "Aren't you just _dying_ for the Reds to win?" Kamila narrowed her yellow eyes. Everyone at the hospital targeted Korosivash. She was quiet and mild-tempered, unlike most of the fiery and zealous Red female workers. It was widespread knowledge that she wasn't an avid war supporter, and that made her an easy target.

"I…would just like an end to all the fighting." Korosivash struggled to say, scrubbing a glass window more fervently.

"So, even if the Blues won?" Kamila raised an eyebrow, resting her elbow on her mop and putting an accusatory hand on her hip. "Would that make you happy?"

"Well, I-I'm sure that they would be just in their castigation." Koro replied softly.

"For the love of Sentients, Koro, I've never met someone who spoke more like a Blue than you!" Kamila exclaimed in exasperation. "And I've met Blues!"

"Sorry." Korosivash stammered, and Kyburi frowned.

"Kamila, I think that's enough." She reprimanded quietly.

"Oh, come _on_, Kyburi, you know she's not on our side!" Kamila rolled her eyes. "I don't even see how you and Karma-whatshisname got into this complex! It's for the _dedicated_ warriors." She said snidely. Korosivash bowed her head and didn't respond.

"Ridiculous." Kamila shook her head, swinging her sopping mop and thwacking it against the window Korosivash was polishing, leaving a dripping wet splotch all over the once-clean glass. "You missed a spot." She said wickedly, picking up her mop and bucket and strutting down the hall. "Come on, Kyburi." Kamila commanded decisively, implying there was no option for argument. After all, she was several million years older than Kyburi.

"Sorry." Kyburi mouthed to Korosivash, who simply shrugged, and began to clean the window again. Kyburi, still feeling guilty, had gone over later and apologized again.

"I mean, you know how Kamila is." Kyburi was saying. They were seated in Korosivash's apartment, Kyburi trying to make good out of a bad situation and Koro staring blankly into space. "Really, don't pay her any mind. She just likes to be intimidating."

Korosivash didn't respond.

"And to me, too." Kyburi continued on. "I mean, she's the only other Red here our age, you know? I don't want to injure her feelings, and she is older than me." Come to think of it, Korosivash was older than the both of them, at twenty-three million years, and she was still put down by every female in the complex. "So, I just wanted to let you know, I'm sorry. She shouldn't have punished you for your views. After all, we know you're still on our side, right?" Kyburi looked at Korosivash closely. This was the moment of truth. "Koro?"

"Oh." Korosivash flinched. "Right. Of course. The sooner the war ends, the better."

This satisfied Kyburi but only a brief second, as she quickly caught the ambiguity.

"But, with the Reds winning, right?" Kyburi repeated, and Korosivash avoided her eyes.

"Isn't that what you all seem to think?" She asked quietly, and before Kyburi could interrogate her further, a joyful cry in the hallway was heard.

"The warriors have returned!"

"Krytus!" Kyburi exclaimed suddenly, all doubts of Korosivash forgotten. She ran out in the hallway to find other females racing down the stairs and gathering in the elevator to see their mates. Jubilant shouts went up among the females, but Korosivash stayed in her apartment.

"They're home!"

"They're here!"

"They're safe!"

In the celebration that followed, Korosivash and her questionable allegiances were forgotten. As time went on in the hospital, everybody generally ignored her, the more spirited females like Kamila sometimes calling her out on where her loyalties lied but other than that leaving her alone. Kyburi sensed that Koro did not fully enjoy her life at the complex, but still probably considered Kyburi her closest friend, as she only ever offered to Kyburi to spend time together after hours. Kyburi knew it was not because she wanted to discuss politics, because their views were vastly different, but more because she was victimized and alone. Kyburi didn't mind Korosivash's company; she seemed quiet but soon proved to be an excellent conversationalist. The only problem was when Kamila saw them spending time together and called Kyburi out on it, leading to her learning to visit Koro in secret. Kamila was still her friend, of course, as were all of the Red females in the building, but she and Korosivash had their moments. In fact, things were going rather well at the complex.

Until, the spark to ignite the war they had been waiting for, exploded.

Everyone was shocked when the Blue Sentients attacked before the Reds did. It was assumed that the more hot-headed race would make the first move, but the Blues had been aware of that all along. They wanted a surprise attack, to squash the rebellion in its early stages to avoid further conflict.

They did not know how prepared the Reds would be for them. They stormed the portal by force and were met by Kyrosys's guards, a force that had tripled in the short year Krytus and Kyburi had spent on the Red planet, partially for security reasons but also because of numbers. The Blues had brought thousands of soldiers and Mobias Command Centers with them, in hopes that their brute force would be enough to cow the Reds into a peaceful surrender.

They had no idea how wrong they were. Kyrosys's guards sounded the alarm seconds after the first Blue wave marched through the portal, and that was all it took to bring thousands of Red soldiers, all armed, to the grounds. Kyrosys and his fellow generals had been preparing for this fight for months, and what the Blues had meant to be a quick skirmish quickly escalated into one of the greatest battles of the war. Thousands of Sentients were killed, thousands more injured. The lobby of their apartment complex was transformed overnight into a makeshift hospital to be staffed by Kyburi and the rest of the females in her apartment maintenance team. She worried every day that Krytus would be brought through the doors.

All daily duties were forgotten as the battle raged. The children did not go to school, jobs were forgotten, but throughout all of this, panic somehow never set in. All of the Reds had been given instructions as to how to prepare for this war, and it came in the form of orderly chaos. What they had not been prepared for was a raging battle on their planet, and the soldiers fought madly to keep the Blues from advancing their lines. Buildings were assaulted by Mobi fire, and it became the main objective of the Red forces to shut the vehicles down. The clash lasted for several days, leaving Red buildings crumbled and slain shells littered the Red planet. They had much to recover from.

"We must launch a counter attack at once!" Krytus slammed his palms on the table. "They will pay for what they have done to our planet!" He and multiple other significant Reds to the cause were gathered the day after the battle. Kyrosys, also present, nodded gravely.

"Krytus, there are too many wounded!" Kora, the Red female who had given Kyburi a job and the head of the hospitals was also present. "To strike at a time like this would be total suicide!" She argued, and several others nodded in agreement with her.

"There has to be something we can do to avenge the fallen!" Krytus thundered. "We will do to their planet twice over what they have done to ours!"

"And we will, but we must wait!" Another general reprimanded him. "There are too many injured soldiers to prepare an attack. In a week, the majority should be healed. We shall strike then."

"But we must—" Krytus was cut off by Kyrosys placing a hand on his shoulder. Every guard in his force had been brutally slaughtered by Blue warriors, and it was unnerving to see the once-articulate general so silent. From then on Kyrosys seldom spoke more than a few words at a time, but they were always chosen carefully.

"A week, Krytus." He said firmly, and Krytus sagged.

"Fine. But it shall be spent preparing." He conceded. "We need weapons, Mobias Command Centers, warriors. Anything we can use against them."

"An excellent plan." Another general nodded. "The Blues will never realize what has hit them."

The entire week was spent preparing. Kyburi worked furiously in the hospital, trading shifts with her Red colleagues day and night to try and heal as many Reds as possible. Females were not allowed to fight in the war, for most of them had Red mates that considered it far too dangerous, and even the single females were still under the protection of other soldiers. Only a few select females were allowed to be active participants of the Resistance, and even they couldn't be on the front lines. The males were fiercely protective of their mates and females. It was one more thing Kyburi loved about the Red planet that she had missed out on when living on Modulon 5; they were a community, a united force, and they looked out for each other.

Kyburi spoke with Krytus in their apartment on the day of the attack.

"Be careful." She finally managed to say. Her core was trembling with fear for him; Kyburi had watched far too many Reds die in her time at the hospital and couldn't bear the thought of the same fate befalling him.

"Of course." He responded dismissively, eyes darting towards the door.

"_Krytus._" Kyburi's voice shook with intensity, and she stared him straight in the eye, forcing him to look at her. "_Please._" She begged him, and he sighed deeply, a grave and rattling sound.

Krytus looked at her in complete sincerity, and a sob escaped her. He took her in his arms so that their cores pressed together and kissed her firmly.

"I will be."

Her shoulders shook, wracked with sobs. Kyburi had never cried in front of him before, but now it seemed impossible not to do so. He lifted his hand to her cheek and brushed the tears away with a warm and gentle caress.

"I'm coming back." He reminded.

She allowed herself the tiniest, most broken of smiles. "You had better."


End file.
